The 2 Common Mistakes That Explain Why Some People Quickly Speak and Understand French While Others Never Go Beyond "Bonjour"

Dear French learner,

I notice something pretty frustrating every summer when I go back to visit my family in Paris.

As you know, millions of people visit France every year.

Most of them speak English but a few make the effort to speak French because they know it's the only way to fully enjoy French culture and connect with locals.

They ask for directions to the lovely apartment they rented in Montmartre, buy a few croissants at a local bakery, book a table at a restaurant or simply try to speak with locals.

Unfortunately, their attempts aren't always successful, and I hate to see the look on their faces when they realize French people can't understand a word they say or when the person they're talking to asks them to repeat.

It's not even their fault!

They spent months learning vocabulary and verb conjugations they quickly forgot, did their best to understand the difference between masculine and feminine words and worked hard to get rid of their accent.

They may even have spent thousands of dollars on expensive French classes and fancy apps.

All of this to end up switching to English because they're ashamed of their French!

This breaks my heart.

Luckily, I also see people who speak French with confidence after only a few months.

They can enter a bakery, order a croissant, crack a joke with the baker and leave with a smile on their face.

I spent years wondering why some people quickly speak French with confidence while others never seem to be able to say more than a few simple words.

And I finally found the answer.

But before I reveal it to you, let me tell you a little bit more about myself.

Bonjour ! I'm Benjamin Houy

And my first English conversation was a disaster.

I had been studying English for more than 10 years like all French students.

And there I was, standing in front of a group of Americans, struggling to keep up with the conversation, ashamed and frustrated by my inability to say anything other than "yes".

My brain was frozen and my accent so bad most people could hardly tell whether I was speaking English or French.

That's when I decided that enough was enough. There had to be a better way!

This happened 7 years ago and I now speak French (my native language), English and German and just started learning Russian.

I've also helped 2,999,264 people learn French at French Together which is now one of the most popular French learning websites in the world.

The irony is that people assume I've always been good at languages and that I'm one of those people who can pick up language after language without any effort.

The reality is that I just created a method anyone can use to quickly learn languages.

And I really mean anyone.

Current students include British people and Americans retired in the South of France, college students who wanted to get better grades, busy professionals who wanted to speak French before going to France with their family and people who had been struggling for years before they discovered the French Together method.

Here is how they did it and how you can too!

Avoiding these 2 mistakes is essential if you ever want to speak and understand French

You may think you just need to work harder, you may think you're too old to learn French, you may think you're bad at learning languages.

Truth is, the reason why so many French learners struggle to speak and understand French is that they simply make the two following mistakes.

Mistake #1 Wasting your time learning vocabulary

There is nothing more frustrating than spending months learning French only to realize you sound like a grammar book, and that the majority of the words you know are useless.

Unfortunately, most courses care more about teaching you as much vocabulary as possible than teaching you phrases you'll actually need in real-life.

The kind of sentences most French courses and apps teach you

That's truly a shame considering focussing on useful vocabulary is one of the best ways to quickly speak and understand French.

A study by Mark Davies from Brigham Young University has shown that the 4,000–5,000 most common words account for up to 95 percent of a written text and the 1,000 most common words account for 85 percent of speech.

Imagine this, you could understand 85% of French conversations if you started by learning the 1,000 most common French words.

Mistake #2 Giving too much importance to grammar rules

Most French learners start by learning conjugation tables by heart and obsessing over the most insignificant aspects of French grammar.

They spend days learning rules they don't understand, conjugating verbs they don't need and memorizing the thousand exceptions of each grammar rule.

The truth is, you don't need to know that much grammar to speak French with confidence.

You simply need to learn the 20% of grammar rules that will help you understand 80% of sentences.

You don't need to know the list of all masculine and feminine words. You just need to know that the majority of words ending in -e or -ion are feminine while most other words are masculine.

You don't need to learn how to conjugate 100 verbs in the present tense, you just need to learn a few conjugation patterns that apply to the vast majority of verbs.

If you do that, you won't know all the details of French grammar. You will, however, be able to quickly speak and understand French.

The secret to quickly speaking and understanding French

The two mistakes you just discovered show that the key to quickly speaking French with confidence is to focus on what matters.

This may sound simple but most French courses try to teach you so much at once that you end up overwhelmed and frustrated by your inability to speak and understand French.

What you need to do is learn the most common French words first and focus on the grammar that you actually need to know.

You could do that on your own of course but knowing what truly matters when you don't know the language isn't exactly easy.

Sure, you could download a list of the most common French words but knowing words but speaking French is about much more than knowing a few words.

You could scout the internet and search for the best "grammar hacks" but you're not guaranteed to find anything. And again, how do you know you're not wasting your time on useless grammar rules?

That's why I created the French Together course.

"The best thing about the French Together course for me, was just how accessible and enjoyable it made the process of learning the language. That's never happened to me before.
From the capsule-sized lessons where I was able to listen, read and understand the concepts around the dialogues in as little as five minutes at a time, to the everyday scenarios that I could practice (e.g asking for directions at the train station, shopping), I found myself absorbing the vocabulary and the nuances of grammar from the course automatically, because it was easy to understand.
One of the best parts of this course is the fact that you had the dialogues at 'normal speed' versus slowed down dialogues, so it meant that you could hear how the conversation would sound in 'real time' vs the 'slowed down' audio for your ears to 'listen more'.
By day twenty of this course, I felt confident enough to speak (I had to travel to France), as well as understand simple everyday sentences/directions, which only enhanced my stay in France.
In brief, I do recommend this course highly, because of the understanding and confidence that it gives you!​"

J. Williams Robson - Nottingham

"There are so many online resources for learning French that it can be overwhelming to try and choose!
I found I was spending too much time looking for the “best” course when I should have been spending that time learning. I found the French Together course was just what I had been looking to find.
It gives me a quick lesson I can easily fit into my day. I look forward to it, even after a long day at work. I can access it on my computer, tablet, and phone – so can easily complete or review a lesson when I have a few minutes to spare.
The phrases are real and applicable. The speakers are real people, so do not have the computer voice glitches I hear in some other programs. And I love that I can listen to them in real time for comprehension and slowly for repetition.
The notes are just right to me – enough to be helpful and interesting, but not so much that I get bogged down. Lastly, I like that there isn’t extraneous dialogue in English.I’m hoping for the next 30 days SOON!!"

Laura - Portland - United States

Introducing: The French Together™ Course

The French Together course is the only beginner French course teaching you the 20% of French you need to know to understand 80% of everyday conversations and quickly speak French with confidence.

After using the course, you'll know exactly what to say to order a café like a local, book a table at a restaurant, have conversations with locals or buy a train ticket.

You will completely avoid the embarrassment of not understanding what people say and will be able to engage in meaningful exchanges with locals.

All of this with lessons you can easily fit into your day and will look forward to, even after a long day at work.

Here is how the French Together course helps you become a confident French speaker

Step 1: Listen to real-life conversations

Your learning journey starts by listening to a fun and realistic conversation between Jérome, Elodie, Stéphane and the other professional voice actors who worked on this course.

They speak fast, don't they?

That's how all French people speak (especially Parisians, they are the worst!)

Don't worry though, understanding what people say will become easier and easier with time.

And you can always listen to the slow version of each conversation to train your ears and get used to the sound of the French language.

Unlike other courses that teach you a ton of words you'll never use, the French Together course focuses on the most common French words because these are the 20% of French words you'll find in 80% of conversations.

Step 2: Improve your understanding of the language with full transcripts and natural translations

Each conversation comes with a full transcript and translation so you know exactly how to use each word and sentence you learn.

This includes literal translations to help you quickly understand how the French language works and discover the true meaning of some of the most common French expressions.

French words often have multiple meanings and understanding all the nuances is essential if you want to sound French, that's why the course also includes clear vocabulary explanations when necessary.

Finally, cultural explanations help you learn more about French culture so you don't simply speak French but also act French and avoid embarrassing mistakes.

Step 3: Understand how the language works with clear grammar explanations

Each lesson builds on what you have already learned, and slowly incorporates new elements, so you don't have to struggle to memorize and learn effortlessly.

You learn grammar naturally by focusing on common patterns and similarities between the French and English language.

The clear grammar explanations help you easily understand complicated grammar concepts such as the difference between masculine and feminine words and the conjugation of irregular verbs.

While most courses teach you as much grammar as possible, the French Together course only teaches you the grammar you actually need to know.

You won't learn how to conjugate verbs in the passé simple tense if you're a beginner because that's unnecessary and would only slow you down.

You'll, however discover a simple trick you can use to easily guess the gender of French nouns just by looking at their ending.

Real life French is nothing like textbook French and the French Together course prepares you for it with conversation practice exercises.

These exercises recreate the experience of speaking in real life and help you gain the confidence and fluency you need to speak French with locals while giving you the opportunity to improve your pronunciation.

Whether you are in front of your computer, in your car or working out, these exercises are the best way to quickly improve your confidence, memorize the vocabulary you learned and get ready for the real world.

Want to give it a try? Click on the play button bellow to see the magic of a conversation practice exercise in action!

A few essential things you'll learn in level 1

The 8 greeting words you must know if you don't want to come across as rude.

The secret to easily guessing the gender of any French noun with 80% accuracy.

The simple conjugation pattern you can use to easily conjugate the French present tense.

What to do first when you enter a French shop.

Why you should never use "how are you" as a greeting in France and what to do instead.

Do you know the difference between "tu" and "vous"? I'll show you which one to use

When to use filler words to sound more natural.

How to ask for directions and actually understand the answer.

The sneaky way to talk about the future without using the future tense.

Nous is the best way to say "we" in French. WRONG. In lesson 6 I'll show you how locals say "we".

The expressions you can use to add color to your French.

The exacts words you should use to book a hotel room or a table at a restaurant.

How to ask for the chef's recommendation and get a meal you'll love.

Why dropping words and letters can help you sound more authentic.

French people speak fast. Here is how to politely ask them to slow down or repeat.

The 3 words you need to know to make comparisons in French.

WARNING. The French don't always use the correct word order and you shouldn't either.

How to introduce yourself and other people with style.

Why speaking English is an advantage when it comes to learning French.

A few embarrassing vocabulary and grammar mistakes and how to avoid them.

The simple pronunciation mistake that could get you to say the opposite of what you meant to say.

A few essential things you'll learn in level 2

Follow this simple rule to easily conjugate most French verbs in the future and conditional tense

The subtle but extremely important differences between the two main French past tenses

How using the present tense to talk about the future can help you sound more French

A conjugation mistake most French people make and how to avoid it

The easiest way to talk about events that just happened

The truth about "vegetarian" French food

How to say "should" in French

Warning: you need to know these fundamental differences between spoken French and written French

The RE technique: a simple way to slightly change the meaning of French verbs and sound like a local

How to ask for the waiter's recommendation and get a meal you'll never forget

"You" has several translations in French and using the right one is essential

Tricky false friends that don't mean what you think they mean

All the ways to answer the phone in French

How to conjugate verbs in the imperfect

The questions French waiters will ask you when you enter a restaurant and how to answer them

How a few hilarious French expressions can help you sound more natural and impress locals

The 4 letters you can use to easily turn most French adjectives into adverbs

The mistake many French learners make when talking about countries

4 ways to say "what" in French and why it matters

How to conjugate verbs in the passé composé

Learn how to say "have to" in French

"It is an excellent French course - very different than how we learn a language in the classroom. I wish I had known these lessons before moving to France. It took me FOREVER to figure out that you could switch 'on' and 'nous' when speaking. I had no idea what people were saying! Great work!"

Emily Bernstein - Providence - United States

"After using the French Together course, I had a chance to speak to a French person - I traveled to England and Normandy and dared to start a conversation with our guide (who is from Paris and spoke perfect English. He wasn't very talkative with me in French - but I was thrilled that he understood me and I - him. He was very surprised that I had studied French only for a few months."

Irene Belyakov-Goodman - United States

"Before using French Together Level 1, I had spent one year struggling with French grammar and couldn't speak French at all.
After using the course for only 30 days, I feel that I better understand French grammar and feel more confident speaking.
I particularly love the slow audio, because it helps my ears to listen more so that I can speak more and can honestly say that this course has saved me lot's of time and prevented many headaches.
I would totally recommend this course. In fact, I passed it to my 13-year-old daughter Lili who finds your course is much simpler and easier to understand than her textbook.
"

Lyn - Indonesia

"I've now finished Level 1 and I think it's a huge difference in my French skills now compared to before.
My French vocabulary has gotten a lot bigger and thanks to the audio - both normal speed & slow speed - my pronunciation has improved and I better understand simple, common meanings in French just by listening.
As I've already said in one of my previous e-mails, I've struggled a bit with French in school for a few years until I got in contact with you, Benjamin, and this course. It has truly helped me a lot. The course makes learning much less boring and tiring,
I really appreciate the side notes in almost every chapter that either explains something from that chapter or helps you to remember some things a bit more easily.
Yes, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who'd like to learn French, and I think that I will continue reading it myself now and then to repeat everything I learned since I do not live in a French speaking country or talk French regularly.
"

100% satisfaction guarantee

You have 60 days to go through the course totally risk-free.

If you don't feel confident enough to speak as well as understand simple everyday sentences or simply don't like the course, send me an email within 60 days of your purchase to get a full refund. No questions asked!

Here is what it means:

If you believe there is even a "slight chance" the French Together course can work for you, you should give it a try.

You should give it a try because there is no risk. If the course does work for you, you'll be able to finally speak and understand French. If it doesn't, simply send me an email within 60 days of your purchase to get a full refund. No questions asked.

I'm happy to offer you this guarantee because I honestly believe the French Together course is the best French course on the market but you don't have to take my word for it. Give the course a try and see for yourself!

Is this the right course for me?

Now you might be wondering, is the French Together course right for me?

This course is for you if you can say OUI to any of these statements:

You're just getting started learning French and would like to speak and understand French before your trip to France.

You've been trying to learn French for months (or even years), but can't open your mouth and say a word when it's time to speak or struggle to understand spoken French because it's so fast.

You studied French at school and want to refresh your knowledge.

You don't mind putting in the work as long as you know that the time you invest is a positive step towards your goal of becoming a confident French speaker.

In fact, you're already working hard to learn French and just want to make sure you're spending your learning time as efficiently as possible.

You can't wait to become a confident French speaker and can already picture yourself asking for the chef's recommendation in a Michelin restaurant and talking about your favorite movie with your French friend Paul.

You love how French sounds and can't wait to be able to watch French movies and read French books in original version.

The course isn't for you if:

You're looking for a magical pill that"ll allow you to learn French in a day. The French Together course is awesome and it can help you quickly speak and understand French, but it won't help you unless you're motivated and ready to work a little bit every day.

You regularly speak French with your friends and have become a master in the art of asking French sellers how their family is doing while joking about the weather. C'est GENIAL, this is GREAT congratulation! You could still learn a ton of useful French expressions and improve your French with the French Together course, but you'd be better off with a more advanced course.

You only want to learn French to pass your exams. This is a noble goal, and I congratulate you for it, but unless your exam is focused on expressing yourself and communicating in French, you've better ways to prepare for it (learning conjugation tables by heart for example).

You made it this far, here is what it means

If you made it this far down this page, it's a sign you're determined to speak French.

Maybe you've wanted to speak French for a while and have been dreaming of the day when you can finally have meaningful conversations with locals and order your favorite food in French, maybe you've even tried to learn French before.

You know anyone can successfully learn French and that you don't need to live in France or spend hours learning every day to succeed.

The question is: what are you going to do about it?

You could keep doing what you were doing and get the same result, or you could give French Together a try and join hundreds of people who now speak French.

And remember, when you get the course today, you have 60 days to go through it 100% risk-free. If you feel that you don't speak French as well as you would like or simply don't like the course, email me and I'll quickly issue a refund.

Questions other French learners asked before buying the course

I'm not a beginner, will this course help me?

This course was created with beginners in mind. But it's also a great choice if you've been learning French for a while and feel like you're not making much progress or if you learned French a long time ago and would like to refresh your knowledge.

In fact, the French Together course has helped lots of intermediate students become better French speakers and improve their understanding of spoken French thanks to its focus on what truly matters and on real-life conversations.

What if I need help?

I'm here for you. When you buy the course, you get direct access to me.

If you have questions about the course, the French language or simply need tips on how to best use the course in your case, just write me an email and I'll be happy to help.

I'm busy, can I use the course later?

Once you buy the French Together course, it's yours to keep forever. You can start using it now, in one week or in 10 years.

Of course the sooner you start, the sooner you'll be able to communicate with locals and express yourself in French, so don't wait too much. Time flies!

Why can't I simply use a free course or textbook from the library?

You can and you would probably learn a few useful words, but the problem of most courses (including many paid ones) is that they don't teach you French, they just throw a bunch of random words and grammar rules at you and ask you to learn them by heart (yawn).

With the French Together course, you follow a clear roadmap that'll quickly bring you from beginner to a conversational level.

You don't waste time wondering what to study next or learning phrases and grammar rules you'll never use.

The result?

You learn French faster, avoid headaches and feel happy when you realize how much you can say in French.

What if I don't like the course?

This course comes with a 60-day money back guarantee. If you don't like it or changed your mind, contact me within 60 days of your purchase and I will give you your money back. No questions asked.